So I've decided to try making a few custom skins.  I was wondering what people preferred,  and where to start!  So without further Adu I put up a poll to help generate some ideas! Critiques welcome!

Thanks to all who voted! Looks like there is a lot of interest in seeing new poses and designs from scratch!   

Work in progress Symurgh: 

Click the full size link to see details.  

I think I am finally happy with the general shape of the forms, though admittedly Symurgs are more swanlike in proportion than fox.  Coincidentally it made me think of this Minna Sundberg's comic, Red tailed dream, which actually gave the inspiration for the concept I'm working on.  Thoughts on anatomy and proportions welcome.

 full size: http://i61.tinypic.com/2625aw1.jpg

full size: http://i62.tinypic.com/2cfdwcn.png

full size: http://i62.tinypic.com/300zej7.png

 FULLSIZE HERE: http://i61.tinypic.com/sma5nb.jpg

Ok Symurgh 2 Work in progress. Completely different idea here with focus on tail feathers:  Also, I was thinking about making some of these available as bases if there is enough interest... let me know what you guys think.  Feel free to be honest! :)

Fullsize here http://i61.tinypic.com/2w2g21i.png

I love how you sketch things! Very very pretty and unique. They have an almost ethereal quality to them.

If anything the head on the first one needs some work... Maybe a shorter snout, or a slightly larger head. But it looks great anyway!

I had some concept sketches for a kitsune symurgh, but never had the time to finish. I'm curious to see what you come up with! :)

Thank you!  It was something I picked up during one of my drawing classes, where we had to draw using scribbles which at the time was one of the hardest things I had to try, because I was very fond of smoothing away my lines, much to my teacher's irritation. He said that the lines you use are like your signature, so smoothing and smudging them is like erasing what makes the drawing yours.  It's always stuck with me. 

I love the watercolor look though, ever since I started using manga studio it's been my favorite tool to use because you get the same effect without having odd multicolored spots on all your clothes and walls. :D

How are the proportions on the latest version? 

http://i57.tinypic.com/23uo3nb.png

http://i61.tinypic.com/5d6hxc.png

http://i58.tinypic.com/2ppmsyu.png

This is the point at which I scale down and start working at the final png size for the actual skin. 

Aurora Symurgh skin Complete

:

Looks really lovely and nice. :)

Will you be submitting it as a public skin?

Finished skin: Borealis

Help me decide if this should be relased publically!

Fill out the survey!

  http://goo.gl/forms/xsWpAxIXGH

As another note I was wondering if anyone would be interested in having a refined version of this pose available as a base. Let me know what you think. 

It looks gorgeous! Proportions look great! To make it a symurgh skin you will need to add bird feet to it though. 

I would love to see more skins like these. Just amazing. I would even be willing to comission one from you! :)

Admittedly the bird feet are awkward visually,  and hard to keep realistically proportioned, there's a lineart version I will experiment with.  Thank you for the input! I will keep refining it.  If you have any ideas you'd like to see let me know I'd be happy to try them. 

It is quite strange. ^^

I would! I have an idea and I don't know what species.. I'm thinking the Lykos. :) Would you be interested? It would be a similar style.

Sure do you have an idea as to the colors and the pose you would be looking for? 

Something sorta like this? 

Gorgeous! You are a really good artist. But I think a full scale background is not permissible as a custom skin. Accessory details like snowflakes or grass are though :/

That's gorgeous o.0 You have fantastic style! What program are you using? I love the -painted- look! :D

Backgrounds that aren't major and don't get cut off by the borders of the image are permisable in most cases. 

I was thinking you could draw your interpretation of a "Nightingale" wolf (As in the bird). Give it a starry theme if you choose, but incorporate feathers. Maybe some around it's neck (I have an image in my head where they are black and sticking up... like a cowl), and a crest perhaps. It would be a private skin under symurgh so it would need to have bird feet somewhere, as well as wings. The main colors would be black, and some blue (blue eyes, blue glowy dots or marks of sorts around the eyes (kinda like runes) and perhaps some white on the tips of feathers or something...  Go nuts with the pose and everything.. I want you to add your creative flair. 

I'd be willing to pay a variety of things to use this as a private skin. I have silver, many items, and lots of pets I'd be willing to trade..... Pm me ; )

Manga studio,  I also use CS6 sometimes, but Manga Studio 5 allows me to work and really gives the feel of traditional media.  the Common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)? Or is there a different species? With birds it's a little more complex because the same common name can apply to many different species.  It helps! 

Either of these two :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_blue_robin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackthroat

I haven't heard of Manga Studio.... but I really want to check it out! Did it come in a package? 

i'm using CS2 because it is what I am used to and I like it. Has what I need and I've customized it so much that I can't imagine upgrading to a newer photoshop. I tried... it just confused me. o.0